Pear Tatin with Vanilla Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce Recipe With coconut shortbread replacing the puff pastry and pears in caramel sauce subbing for apples, the dessert is lent presentation, crunch, and flavor with vanilla tuiles.

12 servings:

Vanilla Ice Cream:

16 liq oz [473 ml] heavy cream

27 liq oz [799 ml] half-and-half

9 oz [255 g] granulated sugar

4 vanilla beans, split and scraped

16 oz [454 g] egg yolks

1. In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, half-and-half, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds and bring to a boil; remove the pan from the heat.

2. In a bowl, whisk the yolks until blended. Temper the yolks with about half of the hot cream mixture and pour the yolk-cream mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low heat until the mixture reaches the custard stage.

3. Immediately strain the custard into a bowl set over an ice bath and cool completely.

4. Refrigerate until cold or, preferably, overnight.

5. Process the mixture in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Vanilla Tuiles:

6 oz [170 g] confectioners' sugar, sifted

4.25 oz [120 g] all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped

5.25 oz [149 g] egg whites

3 oz [85 g] unsalted butter, melted

1. Combine the sifted sugar and flour with the vanilla bean seeds in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Gradually add the egg whites and beat at medium speed until smooth. Slowly drizzle in the butter and mix until the butter is absorbed and the batter is well blended. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F [175°C]. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Cut a stencil of a right triangle 8 1/4" [21 cm] high with a 2" [5.1 cm] base.

3. Place the stencil over the silicone mat and spread a thin layer of vanilla tuile batter through the stencil. Remove the stencil and bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until the tuile is light brown. Bend the tuile over a bowl. Allow to cool completely. Repeat to make 12 tuiles.

Coconut Shortbread:

7 oz [198 g] cake flour, sifted

8 oz [227 g] unsweetened coconut, shredded

5 oz [142 g] unsalted butter, softened

1.5 oz [43 g] confectioners' sugar

1.5 liq oz [45 ml] water, divided

1. In a bowl, combine the sifted cake flour and coconut.

2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and continue beating until the mixture is light.

3. Reduce the speed to low and add the dry ingredients; mix until the clumps are the size of peas. Add 1 liq oz [30 ml] of the water and mix until the mixture begins to come together as a dough. Add the remaining .5 liq oz [15 ml] of water if the mixture seems dry, and continue to mix until the dough is formed. Shape the dough into a disk; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

4. On a work surface that has been lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough out to 1/8" [.3 cm] thick. Using a 4" [10.2 cm] round cutter, stamp out 12 rounds of dough. Place them on a parchment-lined baking pan; cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Caramel Sauce:

8 liq oz [237 ml] water, divided

14 oz [397 g] granulated sugar

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine 4 liq oz [118 ml] of the water and the sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar dissolves. Continue to boil the syrup until it almost reaches a medium brown caramel.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and cover the pan [or use a sheet pan as a cover]. Very carefully slide the cover off just enough to create a small opening and slowly pour in the remaining water. Remove the cover and return the pan to the heat. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring constantly to dissolve any hardened bits of caramel.

3. To check the consistency of the sauce, pour a small amount onto a cold plate. The sauce should be neither too

thick nor too runny. Allow the sauce to cool.

Pear-Caramel Filling:

24 oz [680 g] granulated sugar

4 liq oz [118 ml] water, divided

9 oz [255 g] unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 vanilla beans, split and scraped

3 liq oz [89 ml] Poire William

30 lightly poached, peeled, halved, and cored baby Seckel pears

1. Place the sugar in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Use a metal spoon to mix in as much of the water as is needed so that the mixture is the consistency of wet sand. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat until the sugar begins to melt and caramelize around the edges. At this point, reduce the heat and stir the melting sugar so that it caramelizes evenly. Allow the syrup to reach a medium brown caramel. If any lumps of sugar remain, reduce the heat to its lowest setting and stir constantly until the sugar is completely melted.

2. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the butter, stirring gently until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla bean seeds and then carefully add the Poire William.

3. Arrange 5 Seckel pear halves in each of the flan pans, cut side down. Spoon enough melted caramel filling in the spaces between the pear halves to come almost to the top of the pan.

Assembly:

Caramel spiral decorations

Mint sprigs

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F [175°C].

2. Top a pear-caramel filled pan with a round of coconut shortbread. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the shortbread is light brown. Let rest for 5 minutes.

3. Invert the warm pear Tatin onto the center of a dessert plate. Drizzle caramel sauce around the tart. Top the pears with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

4. Arrange a vanilla tuile, a caramel spiral, and a mint sprig on the tart.